Queensland state political reporter

Queensland MPs are to get a $57,000 pay rise following Crown Law advice a pay freeze four years ago was unlawful.

But the government claims it won't cost taxpayers an extra cent - as long as no member of the government past or present makes a claim for back pay.

In a rare move, acting premier Jeff Seeney released Crown Law advice to the government to explain the pay rise.

He said found former premier Anna Bligh had acted outside her powers when she froze MPs

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salaries in 2009.

Ms Bligh divorced Queensland MP pay rates from any decisions made by the independent statutory authority which set the wage levels.

Mr Seeney said Crown Law advice was Ms Bligh's decision was "unlawful" and the government had "no choice" but to comply with the law to ensure the Parliament of Queensland Act was complied with "immediately".

Queensland members of parliament are entitled to an annual salary, which is $500 less than the annual salary of a member of the federal House of Representatives.

The federal parliamentary base salary was recently increased to $195,130, which came into effect on July 1.

That would take the base salary for Queensland MPs to $194,630, which is about a $57,481 increase.

But Mr Seeney said the government had sought a "cost neutral" option to comply with the law.

Parliamentarian allowances, which is paid on a six monthly basis as a lump sum, have been cut by 50 per cent and public funding of political parties has also been halved.

Mr Seeney said the cuts meant the rise in MP salaries could be met, without adding an additional burden to the budget.

But Mr Seeney has appealed to all current and former MPs to not claim for back pay.

He said it was "impossible to calculate" how much it would cost if a sitting or former MP decided to claim what they were owed, but put it in the "tens of millions" of dollars.

Mr Seeney said Crown Law advice had shown the "entitlement existed" but the government would not hesitate to "name and shame" any MP who attempted to claim the back pay.

"I'll be using every trick in the book to make sure Queenslanders know what is going on," Mr Seeney said.

But Mr Seeney would not name the two MPs that he said had previously approached him inquiring about the possibility of back pay.

105 comments so far

Sounds like that was about all Bligh did right. Sorry I cannot believe it will not cost us taxpayers anything. Bligh did this because this state just could not afford the pay rises. Is this move why so many have lost their jobs? Not a very good move in this economic market.

Commenter

J.G.

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 3:46PM

If the pollies can set up a statutory authority to give guidelines they can stop the statutory authority doing something such as this. This is an absolute disgrace. I hope the public service gets an equivalent pay rise. Side bet?

Commenter

Pollyho

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 5:06PM

The LNP changed the law to threaten the jobs and wages of my public servant friends and I. Despite there being huge demand for services, they cut tens of thousands of jobs and went back on a 2.5% (lower than inflation) wage increase. They were happy to rewrite the law to screw us and farm our jobs out their rich mates to do at greater cost to the taxpayer, but their hands are tied when it comes to $57k headed their way.

While they were doing this, QLD voters called hard working, dedicated people 'leeches' 'parasites' 'greedy' and 'lazy'. We were accused of helping ourselves to your money when all we wanted was to (just barely) keep up with inflation as our wages were and are significantly below what they would be privately.

Now you see the real LNP. This is what they're like. Nasty, vindictive and entitled. The only time they pretend to be on your side is to set you against each other so they can make off with the loot. Lucky for me I got out when I still could and am doing just fine. I've actually had a pay rise since I ditched the abusive, dysfunctional, LNP public service trainwreck. It'll help pay for the cost of living increases you lot voted for.

Commenter

was public now private

Location

enjoying my career

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 6:00PM

For the sake of everything decent, stop, just stop! I don't care which side of the political divide you come from this is obscenely wrong. There is no justification. This is overt greed rubbed in the face of a state going nowhere fast.

How can you say "it's the independent body who did this"? Who set up the body and who has the power to hold it to ransom (ie make them all unemployed) if they don't toe the line? It's one of the most blatant conflicts of interest I've seen.

We have high state debt, increasing cost of living pressures and now we're told this. Regardless if you've managed to move the chess pieces around to make this "cost neutral" doesn't make it right. Keep going and you'll end up on the wrong side of the ledger. It's like history repeating and when people have had enough the politicians might regret some of these decisions (that were apparently forced on them by someone else).

Commenter

IGBTY

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 9:26PM

Neil Symes.... Now there's $57,000 of additional value.... God help us

Commenter

Drewbits

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 10:26PM

A disgusting act from a government that claims to be 'concerned' about the Queensland economy. How incredible to release legal advice that exposes the risk. ??? Now, use your overwhelming majority to CHANGE THE LAW to put an end to this grab into the public purse and restore constituent confidence in the integrity of parliament.

Commenter

average person

Date and time

July 02, 2013, 7:45AM

Thank you for your incompetency everyone involved - i.e. all political parties. Surely the Government can change the law to prevent this ridiculous pay rise. Meanwhile, average Joe just keeps taking up the a**.

Commenter

Seriously?!

Location

Queensland

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 3:49PM

Yep and meanwhile there are families living in cars and relying on handouts such is the fine line between poverty and security.

These LNP types like Newman & Nichols have no idea how difficult it is for some people just to stay alive.

You only have to look at the corpulent size of some of the ministers to gauge that they would never have had to go without a meal much less a day without food. Never had to worry about where they would sleep the night - plenty of options if you own a few houses....or how to get to work - they'd just take one of the many family business-owned cars.

They are an absolute disgrace to the state and nation and are totally undeserving of the office they hold. Hopefully a few more Qldrs will have woken up by the next election.

Commenter

Petero

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 5:11PM

What is worse ... the QLD rise, the fact that the Commonwealth Government has kept raising Federal MP salaries, or the fact that the Deputy Premier is trying to black-mail existing and past MP's who may be lawfully seeking what is owed them? An all-round disgusting situation in which no-one comes out looking clean. Meanwhile many of us haven't had a real pay rise in nearly 5 years.

Commenter

9thWave

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

July 01, 2013, 3:50PM

Sorry to be picky but the Commonwealth Government doesn't set politicians pay rises. It's done independently